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NEWS about Montrose Election

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

If it is true that Senator Gordon intends to curse Colorado voters with
Permanent Absentee Voting (a variation of Mail Ballot Elections) then we
must take action to prevent this from happening.

Ask Senator Gordon for proof that such elections would be secure, accurate,
verifiable, anonymous, accessible, transparent and accountable.

Al



Al Kolwicz
CAMBER - Citizens for Accurate Mail Ballot Election Results
2867 Tincup Circle
Boulder, CO 80305
303-494-1540
AlKolwicz@xxxxxxxxx
www.users.qwest.net/~alkolwicz 
www.coloradovoter.blogspot.com 

CAMBER is a dedicated group of volunteers who are working to ensure that
every voter gets to vote once, every vote is counted once, and that every
ballot is secure and anonymous.
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Title: PRESS 03162007 Coffman: Remediation better than legal action

http://www.montrosepress.com/articles/2007/03/16/local_news/1.txt

Coffman: Remediation better than legal action

March 16, 2007


Katharhynn Heidelberg

Daily Press News Editor

MONTROSE — After naming Montrose County to his election watch list, Colorado Secretary of State Mike Coffman arrived in person Thursday to discuss what went wrong in 2006.

Though a report his office released in February spelled out deficiencies and statutory violations in Montrose County’s November elections — ranging from problems with vote machine programming to inadequate security — Coffman said remediation was a better course than legal action.

The Secretary of State has authority to seek a court order allowing him or her to take control of a local election when violations are serious enough. “I think that’s way too draconian and not healthy,” Coffman told the Daily Press, explaining that Montrose County officials had shown initiative in addressing many of the problems.


“No election is perfect.”

Montrose was placed on his watch list along with three other counties. It must meet specific requirements by the 2008 elections or face the possibility of court-ordered supervision.

“I am very excited to continue implementing improvements. Our collective goal is to restore voter confidence,” Montrose County Clerk and Recorder Fran Tipton-Long said at a public meeting Thursday afternoon.

Coffman said the steps Tipton-Long and the Montrose County commissioners have taken so far — including the establishment of an election task force that released a report earlier this week — were impressive. “There is no question I have the confidence these issues are going to be resolved,” he said.

He later said he hoped Montrose could become the state model for efficient elections and stressed the actual election results were not in question. “I don’t want to sound overly optimistic but I’m relieved there wasn’t fraud,” he said. “The results were not in jeopardy.”

At the public meeting, concerns were raised about the Hart machines. Attendees wanted to know why the county went against a panel’s recommendations for a different type of voting machine and what was wrong with a simple paper ballot.

Tipton-Long explained the equipment the panel recommended wasn’t certified. “Hart was highly recommended. Every single (type of) machine has issues. There are issues with paper ballots. No technology is perfect.”

County Manager Joe Kerby said Montrose’s August primary went smoothly, prompting a reporter to ask why November’s elections did not.

Election Supervisor Debbie Rudy said the primary was set up by the equipment vendor, which provided close supervision. However, Tipton-Long added, that support was not available during the General Election. “We floundered,” she said.

Coffman did have concerns with Hart InterCivic, the company from which Montrose County purchased its electronic voting machines.

“I’m concerned about Hart,” he said during an interview at the Daily Press, citing what he saw as poor follow-up service to counties purchasing its equipment.

Montrose’s election task force also raised concerns with the equipment, saying there was insufficient technical expertise and support. The county must now remedy technological and security issues to satisfy Coffman’s office; commissioners previously acknowledged this was going to cost money.

Hart’s potential for financial liability in the matter has not been addressed, Tipton-Long said.

“We haven’t addressed looking at a lawsuit. That would bog down the process (of remediation).” She said the clerk’s office is working with Hart for more training.

Coffman said he found election training procedures inadequate when he took office at the beginning of the year. “I think that process is weak,” he said. “I want to enhance that program.”

Coffman plans to strengthen general certification processes by making sure at least one person in each county receives expert-level training. “It’d just be very healthy to have somebody with enhanced expertise,” he said.

He and Tipton-Long acknowledged some voters are leery of electronic voting altogether. To help them feel more comfortable — and to provide one more backup tool — Montrose County will be offering “hybrid” voting, whereby a person can use either an electronic machine or a paper ballot.

The concept satisfies federal election law, which requires at least one electronic voting machine per polling place to satisfy the rights of disabled and visually impaired to vote in secrecy and without assistance.

“Quite frankly, there are a number of people that are suspicious about electronic voting,” Coffman said. “Going to that system takes that debate away. I like the idea of having multiple choices for voters.”

A lawsuit to disallow electronic voting was filed against former Secretary of State, Gigi Dennis, last year. Electronic voting was allowed to stand, Coffman said, but he is now required to re-certify machines as to security and accuracy.

Additionally, Coffman said, Colorado Sen. Ken Gordon is poised to introduce legislation that would create a permanent mail-balloting system. As Coffman described it, the process would allow a voter to sign up for a mail ballot just once and keep current by voting in each general election.

Counties are already permitted to conduct mail-in ballot elections in odd-numbered years, but Tipton-Long said the proposed legislation would help her office significantly in terms of staff time.

“I’m a voter too,” she said. “I want things done right.”


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Notable progress in clerk's office
March 16, 2007

Daily Press Editorial

There's a shopworn chestnut about airline safety.
*  Q: What's the safest airline?
*  A: The one with the most recent crash.

We're borrowing that line from Colorado Secretary of State Mike Coffman who
used it to illustrate a point regarding Montrose County's November election.

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